The tourist island of Rhodes is in flames. Tens of thousands of people have been rescued in what is described as the largest fire evacuation in Greek history.
Several flights have been canceled by travel companies, but at the same time many Swedes have a planned trip to the island in the next few days.
– There were a lot of people this morning who chose not to go and canceled at their own request, says Lottie Knutson, travel expert.
Then you won’t get the money back
If you yourself choose not to go, it can be difficult to get compensation, says Knutson.
– Even if I have cancellation and rebooking protection, I must have a doctor’s certificate that I have fallen ill in order to rebook the trip, says the travel expert and continues:
– Then it’s either to travel away or lose your money.
She advises those who feel concerned to contact their tour operator and look at the travel conditions.
Compensation if the company cancels
The travel company Tui has chosen to cancel all trips up to and including Tuesday.
– It is of course the case that you get your money back if you have a trip that is cancelled. We are currently working on paying this back as soon as possible so that you can book a new trip, says Adam Gyö, press officer at Tui, to TV4 Nyheterna.
The company Ving has canceled trips on Sunday, and they are being compensated, but they plan to continue flying passengers as usual.
– If you don’t hear anything from us, we will fly as usual. As long as there is no advice from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs or local authorities, flying will be as usual, but of course we are following developments very closely right now, says Anna Hagberg, press officer at Ving.
Unclear if evacuees are compensated
Neither Tui nor Ving provides information on whether the travelers who were evacuated, and for example had to sleep on mattresses, will receive compensation.
– At this stage, the focus is on moving them to another hotel and to safety, we will almost have to address that question when we are done with all this, says Adam Gyö, press officer at Tui.
– We have to take it case by case if it is possible to pay back compensation for those who were already in Rhodes, that is something we have to look at at a later stage, says Anna Hagberg, press officer at Ving.
Rights in the event of a canceled flight:
The airline must always offer you the choice between rebooking or cancellation. This applies regardless of the reason for the flight being canceled and when you received the information that it was cancelled.
The airline is obliged to pay your ticket costs within 7 days if you choose a refund. It must be done by electronic bank transfer, contact, bank transfer or check. The airline may refund the ticket through credit receipts or other means if you agree.
The airline must always inform you of your rights as a passenger when you are affected by a canceled flight. If you are at the airport, the airline must hand out the information in writing on the spot. It is also common to receive information via e-mail or SMS.
The airline must ensure that you are allowed to make two calls or send two messages for free, if you are at the airport. They must also offer free drinks and food, in relation to the waiting time.
The airline must pay for accommodation at a hotel and transport to and from the airport if you are at the airport or at the destination and your flight is rebooked so that it leaves the next day.
The airline must provide compensation if passengers are affected by canceled flights. You can receive two types of compensation; compensation and damages.
When your flight is cancelled, you have the right to claim the following compensation from the airline:
250 euros for all flights of a maximum of 1,500 kilometers.
400 euros for all flights within the EU longer than 1,500 kilometers. As well as for all other flights between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometers long.
600 euros for all other flights covered by EU rules.
Source: Swedish Consumer Agency and ECC Sweden